


After the Earth Empire's Fall: A Brief Historical Review

by uniqueafternoon



Series: The Avatar World: An Academic View [2]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, F/M, Historical, My attempt at plausible post-canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25237126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uniqueafternoon/pseuds/uniqueafternoon
Summary: A what-if of what could have happened after Book 4, written in the form of a historical review by Shichi Beifong of New Zaofu University.
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato, Not the focus of this fic
Series: The Avatar World: An Academic View [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2044060
Comments: 9
Kudos: 21





	After the Earth Empire's Fall: A Brief Historical Review

The Hundred Year War, begun by Sozin and ended by the intervention of Avatar Aang, has been well-studied. The time period of the Avatar after him - Avatar Korra - has, by contrast, received, relatively little attention. This brief historical review covers the immediate period after the fall of Kuvira's Earth Empire.

* * *

The fall of Kuvira's Earth Empire ushered in a temporary period of peace. Wu, as figurehead ruler of the Earth Kingdom, presided over its dissolution into smaller democratic city-states. Future Industries, under Asami Sato's leadership, quickly become a multinational corporation. Her close ties with many world leaders - not to mention her romantic partnership with Avatar Korra, which was an open secret - enabled its growth across the world.

Within five years trouble had arose. The weaponry of Kuvira's army had found its way into the hands of various rebels and disaffected citizens, the process of democratisation was halting at best, and at this moment the Red Lotus decided to strike. On the thirteenth day of the fifth month of 179 AG, after forming an alliance with a group of Kuvira's former soldiers, they attempted on a concerted assassination of world leaders - a day enshrined in public memory as the Day of Terror. After a meeting of world leaders at Republic City, Red Lotus agents in plain clothes assassinated Wu and his bodyguard Mako. Firelord Izumi was only saved due to the intervention of former Firelord Zuko, who had spotted the assassins before they struck. Desna and Eska, chiefs of the Northern Water Tribe, escaped with mild injuries. Tonraq, chief of the Southern Water Tribe, was left in a critical condition and died two weeks later of his wounds. Tenzin, Korra's airbending teacher, escaped unharmed due to his skills of evasion. Avatar Korra herself narrowly escaped unharmed.

Historians have often wondered at the alliance between the Red Lotus and the former Earth Empire. How could a global anarchist terrorist organisation ally with a nationalistic dictatorial military group? But the alliance is not surprising. The Red Lotus and the former Earth Empire soldiers shared a common aim: destabilising the political order represented by Avatar Korra and Republic City. For that they were willing to allow a dilution of ideological purity.

The Day of Terror struck fear into the public. The Earth Kingdom, already politically unstable, fragmented further with the death of its uniting figurehead. Warlords vied for power. In response, President Zhu Li Moon of the United Republic consulted with Avatar Korra for a solution. About to return to the South Pole in order to act as its temporary chief following Tonraq's death, she left Asami Sato to discuss on her behalf. 

The solution offered was radical. The Fire Nation - scarcely over a century ago seen as the world's enemy - would act as a peacekeeping force, in tandem with reformed Dai Li agents, airbenders specially picked by Tenzin, and waterbenders from the Northern Water Tribe. Sato and the President hoped that a multicultural force would be seen as less invasive. (A purely Fire Nation presence would not have been seen well, due to the Hundred Years War.) After negotiations with Firelord Izumi, Tenzin, and Desna and Eska, the deal was struck. Leadership of the force would be shared between the world leaders. Such a huge taskforce took time to implement, and it was only in 182 AG that it began working in practice.

In the meantime, democratisation had stalled. Warlords of the Earth Kingdom, seeking power, had divided it into what was effectively seventeen smaller autonomous states. Zaofu had remained neutral during the conflict. The world peacekeeping force slowly removed warlords, starting out from Republic City, but the task was rendered impossible by its scale. Each time a warlord was put down, another sprang up.

Yet this time also saw the elimination of the Red Lotus, without any intervention from the peacekeeping force. Having discovered the details of their sleeper cells during their alliance, the former Earth Empire soldiers eliminated the Red Lotus and took over their resources. This was only discovered in 187 AG.

By then, the nations had tired of war. The warlords that remained were too powerful to be dislodged, and those states were left to their own. Until now, the Earth Kingdom remains disunited, with only pockets of democracy scattered throughout.

By now, a new Southern Chief having been chosen, Avatar Korra returned to Republic City. Her first act was to bring Firelord Zuko, by now close to death, into the Spirit World via the portal in Republic City. Three years later, she did the same for Toph Bei Fong. Waterbending master Katara - the last of the "Old Masters" - died in her sleep shortly after.

And so the political situation has stayed since then. The Water Tribes have kept their autonomy. The Earth Kingdom remains disunited. The Fire Nation remains an industrial powerhouse, with the resources Future Industries has poured into it. The Air Nation has kept its reputation as a force for peace. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop.

_Shichi Beifong, New Zaofu University_

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by 
> 
> Never a Second Glance, by Feneris  
> Avatar Aang: An Annotated Bibliography, by The Big Rocky Eye  
> Ephemera from the Avatar Collection at Republic City University with notes and commentary by the archivists, by eruthros  
> A Pocket Guide to Ba Sing Se, by Lavanya_Six
> 
> Written in one hour.
> 
> Critiques, comments, and other alternate history suggestions welcome!


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